GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF INDIAN RIVER PRAWN MACROBRACHIUM-MALCOLMSONII (EDWARDS,H.MILNE) UNDER POND CONDITIONS

Hatchery-produced seed of Macrobrachium malcolmsonii were used for gro w out trials in six earthen ponds fertilised with a basal dose of poul try droppings at 1000 kg and lime at 200 kg ha(-1) before stocking. Th ree ponds were stocked with juveniles at 30000 ha(-1) and another thre e at 50 000 ha(-1). The prawns were fed daily with a 1:1 mixture of gr oundnut oilcake and fish meal at 5% along with poultry entrails at 3% of total biomass. Male prawns attained a weight of 43-200 g but the fe males ranged from 17 to 47 g. Survival ranged from 26 to 58% and produ ction from 440 to 565 kg ha(-1) in 6 months, which is the highest repo rted for this species so far in India. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.